Original Text
Of all people born into the world, one-third live to old age, one-third die young, and another third, though capable of long life, bring about their own early death. Why is this? Because they seek life too excessively, indulging in rich food and drink, and over-nourishing themselves. It is said that those skilled in nurturing life encounter no rhinoceroses or tigers on land and suffer no harm in battle. Though the rhinoceros is fierce, it cannot use its horn against them; though the tiger is savage, it cannot use its claws; though weapons are sharp, their blades find no mark. Why is this? Because such a person has not entered the realm of death.
Guide
Some live long, others die young. Those who perish prematurely often fall into two categories: one is those who do not cherish life and act recklessly, entering the "land of death"; the other is those who cherish life too much, which backfires and hinders their vitality. Only by practicing the way of tranquility, non-action, and following nature can one achieve longevity.Analysis
This chapter discusses the principle of preserving life. Life and death are heavy topics that many dare not face directly, instead adopting an evasive attitude. Life brings us joy, while death brings gloom. Many turn pale at the mention of death, but no matter how much we fear it, death shows no mercy and will one day befall us, something no one can avoid. Thus, where there is birth, there is death. Since this is the case, how can we prolong life as much as possible? In Laozi's view, excessive desires lead to rapid decline. One who restrains desires, calms the mind, and aligns with the Way can achieve longevity.
"Coming into life, entering death." "Coming" means appearing in the world, that is, being born. "Entering" means going into the ground, that is, dying.
"Those who are born, thirteen; those who die, thirteen" means that among all people, those who live long account for three-tenths, and those who die young account for three-tenths. The reason people die young is due to excessive desires, which violate the natural course of life. This is fate; we cannot extend our lifespan, only face it with equanimity. Therefore, those skilled in nurturing life must reduce selfishness and desires, living a simple, pure, and natural life. Any artificial intervention, such as alchemy or taking pills, is not only unhelpful but also counterproductive.
Laozi further explained: "Among people, those who move toward death in the course of life also number three in ten." He believed that among all people, those who could have lived long but died early due to their own doing account for three-tenths. The "own doing" here refers to falling into a state of gloom and anxiety because of greed, discrimination, and attachment. Humans possess consciousness, and it is this consciousness that lifted them from ignorance, gradually making them intelligent and ushering in civilization. However, once humans became clever, desires and discriminatory thoughts emerged, becoming the root of suffering and trouble. For instance, most people wish to live a happy life and be better than others. But reality often contradicts expectations: others have villas while they do not; others have beautiful appearances while they do not; others have luxurious and comfortable clothes while they do not. Pondering this, they always feel life is unfair to them. Thus, a melancholy mood lingers, and over time, it harms their health, which is extremely detrimental to nurturing life.
It is said that those who are skilled in preserving life do not encounter rhinoceroses or tigers when traveling on land, nor are they harmed by weapons when entering a battlefield; the rhinoceros finds no place to thrust its horn, the tiger finds no place to use its claws, and weapons find no place to apply their blades. When walking on a road, if we encounter harmful rhinoceroses and tigers, how should we deal with them? In Laozi's view, rhinoceroses and tigers are extremely fierce animals that do not fear humans and have no discriminating mind; they do not decide their actions based on our fear or lack thereof. For those who have attained the Way, even when facing the sharp claws and horns of tigers and rhinoceroses, they will not be harmed because they have no concept of harm in their hearts; no matter how fierce the rhinoceros or tiger, it holds no meaning for them. This principle applies equally to other wild beasts or different situations. Those who align with the great virtue of the Way, even on a battlefield, will charge forward without fearing the enemy's swords; having no fear of death and following nature in all things, the sharpness of the blade loses its original power. Conversely, those who cling to life and fear death on the battlefield will be filled with dread of death, dare not engage in close combat with the enemy, and will naturally be attacked by the enemy's sharp blades. Therefore, as long as one faces the difficulties and dangers of life's path calmly and remains fearless even in peril, one has no discriminating mind and truly understands the art of nurturing life.
"Why is this so? Because they have no place for death." At the end of this chapter, Laozi uses the phrase "because they have no place for death" to summarize the reason why those skilled in nurturing life are not harmed by sharp swords or fierce beasts: those who follow the Way of Heaven and act according to objective laws cannot be approached by external dangers, and thus will not die from them. How did this idea of Laozi arise? This requires an analysis of the characteristics of the era in which Laozi lived. In the late Spring and Autumn period, wars were continuous, and human life was constantly at risk of destruction. Faced with this situation, Laozi put forward his views on life and death: the outcome of war is unpredictable, so one should not protect oneself through wars of plunder; luxury is of no benefit to life, so one should not maintain life through a luxurious lifestyle. Laozi hoped that people could reach a state of few desires, simplicity, and naturalness, thus proposing the principles of tranquility and non-action, adhering to the Way, and conforming to virtuous conduct. Laozi believed that if a person's actions do not align with virtuous conduct, they will harm both themselves and others, which is a human factor that shortens lifespan and should be strenuously avoided.
It is understandable that people fear death, as life is hard-won and highly contingent, so it should be cherished. But one must clearly recognize that cherishing life is not expressed through mere fear of death, but by releasing its energy and realizing its value, thereby showing respect for life.